The 1.8 Update - Don't hate it.

[Mooclan]

*I wrote this thread last night without an internet connection, then copied it over to the website and formatted it. There might be an issue that I didn't notice.*


Hey,
So it's been a while since I wrote a thread, and it's been bugging me for quite some time... I've started to forget how to write a thread!
(I'M NOT DEAD, JUST HAVING REALLY BAD WRITER'S BLOCK.)


Whether you want MCGamer to update to 1.8 or not, it's going to happen.
It would go against the flow of progression to stagnate on 1.7.
So, we may as well accept and get used to it rather than causing riots over a video game.

The Network is limited by the Minecraft version - the maps are missing out on many new blocks, the gamemodes could be vastly changed and added onto, and many minor improvements could be implemented.

MCGamer has been sitting on 1.7 for something like 15 months. Over a year. Within that period of time, they've also included support for 1.6 and 1.8 accordingly, but 1.7 is currently the basis for the server, and has been for quite some time. There are almost no 1.8 features on the MCGamer network, compared to what there could be.

- Ocean Monuments. This includes the mobs (Guardians), fabulous blocks (Prismarine), and themes.
- Barriers!
- Diorite, granite, and other new blocks. This includes new doors and fences, as well as the previously mentioned ocean-themed blocks.
- Armor Stands
- Spectator Mode
- Rabbits!
- Bouncy Slime Blocks
- Improved Scoreboards

And so much more!

With the Ocean Monuments comes along several new aspects. First of all, it makes underwater-gameplay a reality! On MCGamer, that could relate to an underwater-themed map. (It reminds me of SG Atlantis.) And there are several other possibilities!


There is also, of course, the new blocks themselves, which allow for map-makers to expand their horizons even further than 32 chunks. Survival Games, SGC, QQ, ZedChase, and many of the other gamemodes will have opportunities to be visually upgraded.


Barriers are a feature that has been long-awaited, and many people had hoped that MCGamer would implement them into their gamemodes a long time ago. But due to the fact that they had to maintain 1.7 support, they were never implemented... until, perhaps, January 29th!
These will allow for the glass dome to be removed.
There is some speculation that the glass domes cause lag. As they are removed, players may experience increases in FPS, particularly for lower-performance computers, as they will not have to render the glass domes when they are near the edge of the map.


Spectator Mode is probably the feature that can affect MCGamer the most (Especially the Hunger Games-based gamemodes).
With a completely revamped and vanilla method, 1.8 introduces the spectating mode. This could allow for a lighter plugin, meaning faster servers with less lag.



As far as I've heard, people are reluctant to upgrade to 1.8 for only a few reasons.

- Worse FPS
Not always true!
I have tested this out. With and without Shaders, OptiFine, as well as Shaders AND OptiFine.
On a $500 basic PC (https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Mooclan/saved/nTcBD3), I noticed no worsening in FPS. In fact, on Valleyside and Holiday Resort, I saw an FPS increase of roughly 25-75 with SEUS Standard V10 Shaders. With Shaders disabled, the increase grew even larger.
Perhaps it's just my computer, or maybe I was just lucky. But 1.8, with the right settings, does not significantly lessen FPS. There is also optionally 1.8.1, which OptiFine is compatible with.

- Skins malfunctioning.
Okay, this one is just absurd. New skin settings, new possibilities. It's not really that difficult to update your skin.

- Mods not updated.
On MCGamer, there are three main mods that are allowed (to my immediate knowledge - I'm writing this without an Internet connection, so I can't double-check.)
OptiFine - Updated to 1.8 and 1.8.1
Shaders Mod - Updated to 1.8 (And compatible with 1.8 Optifine Ultra B6)
Directional HUB/HUD/GUI - (I'm not sure what it's called) I'm pretty sure this one was updated a while ago, too.
TooManyItems is also allowed, but has no gameplay-impact.
If you're trying to use another mod on MCGamer, you might be breaking a rule anyways...



Something that people sometimes overlook is that many hack clients take a long time to be updated, and some of them are not 1.8 compatible yet. (Thanks, OhFancy, for reminding me about this earlier today)
Hack clients are essentially clients with mods that allow for game-changing/game-breaking abilities. These can sometimes take a long time to update, especially if there are a large number of features offered within the hack clients.

More features -> More popular hack clients -> Majority of hackers use them
~~
More features -> More things to update -> Much longer time needed to update -> Not 1.8-compatible -> Less hackers



1.8 isn't going to break the game. A negative attitude towards it, however, will.

 

[ChrisComedies]

h8rs gonna h8 h8 h8 h8 h8 - taylor swift

and im a h8r
1.8 suk

 

[Mirko]

1.7

1.8

​

 

[ArgaJones]

My thoughts exactly. Another thing to keep in mind is how upset some people got when we first switched to 1.7, now people don't want to leave it! This is that way games work, they get updated, things get added, and things get removed. All we can do is try to get used to the new stuff.

 

[MoLoToV]

1.7

1.8

​

Soo... it's still pretty visible.... and you'll still hear the sound, I don't see the problem...
Edit : Thanks Mooclan for making this thread, it's about time we start looking at the positive side

 

[Mooclan]

1.7

1.8

​

I can almost guarantee that custom resource packs will be created which allow for easier visibility.

 

[Mirko]

I can almost guarantee that custom resource packs will be created which allow for easier visibility.

I hope that can be true

 

[Ceroria]

My only problem is the fact that many texture packs have not been updated to 1.8, leaving texture and item bugs. The other is that the person's armor does not turn red when you hit them, making it harder to tell but everyone will have Thai disadvantage anyway.

I'm personally excited for this, but I just started piecing together a nice pack with some of my favorite textures and it looks like it'll have to wait until 1.8 textures are released

 

[JaviGBU]

I'll miss block-hitting

 

[Creepah]

Sphax PureBDCraft has updated to 1.8, though it's not very popular with competitive PvPers. However, with packs such as faithful default textures don't stick out too bad.

Also make sure you're running 1.8.1. It has a couple bug fixes and Optifine is compatible with it.

 

[Zacharoutio]

I can't play Minecraft on 1.8 without lag spikes. I will get 100 fps and drop to 10 every 10 seconds or so. I know many others with this issue.
I understand there are many new features, but it is shame to see many players such as me, be forced to quit playing, due to the update.

You are right, it won't break the server, but it will lose a small section of it's community.

 

[Evermore]

Some points:

Hacked Clients - Differing hack clients are essentially offer the same functionality and there are hacked clients for 1.8. Hackers would simply search "Hacked Clients 1.8" and then download one of them.

Barriers - While interesting aesthetically, they offer no more functionality than a glass dome would. Additionally, I doubt the proposed increase performance would offset the lag many users are experiencing.

Performance Lag - Obviously seems to be affecting certain computers, but the issue is obviously prominent if so many users are complaining about it.

New Blocks - Not a game changer; Mojang has implemented new blocks in every large update. I doubt new maps utilizing these blocks would became popular solely for that reason; the community has shown to like gameplay orientated maps rather than visual orientated.

Spectator Mode - You seem unreasonably optimistic. Do you truly believe that this feature will noticeably increase server performance?

Other issues that you didn't address:
-Damage Animation (Makes it difficult to see if you're hitting someone)
-Block Hitting
-Randomly sword stops swinging
-Resource Pack Incompatibilities
-Lag Spikes (in conjunction with overall lower fps)